Expressing Feeling In Poetry English Literature Essay

Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic, in addition to its parent meaning. Through the human civilization, the modernist fascination with the art and aesthetics of human reflected in the writings of modernist poets. They wrote poetry to express their own perspectives about the society, politics, and philosophy, including literary and social movements, gender, class and race. Poets are considered as artists who combine the aesthetics and literature, because they often use particular forms and conventions to suggest alternative meanings in the words. Compare to other literature style, poetry gives readers a different and brand new feeling, and the elements of poetry including prosody, form and diction invoke thoughts and powerful feelings in the readers or listeners.

Poets use a different way to express their thoughts and feelings from other literary people due to using prosody and fewer words. In John Donne’s poem The Flea, He was attempting to establish a sexual union with his lover. In the beginning, Donne uses the flea as a conceit, to represent a sexual union with his lover. For instance, in the first stanza a flea bites the speaker and woman.  He responds to this incident by saying, “And in this flea our bloods mingled be.” He is suggesting that they are united in this flea, thus, would equally be united in intimacy.  In addition, he states, “This flea is you and I, and this our marriage bed, and marriage temple is.”  He is continuing suggesting that through the flea the two are married.  Again, the flea represents marriage and union through intimacy.  However, the woman crushes the flea, thus, refusing his request, and states that neither she nor he is weakened by its death. Based on her reaction, the speaker states, “Tis true…Just so much honor, when they yield’st to me, Will waste, as this flea’s death took life from thee.”  In other words, he twists his argument to make the point that the woman will lose nothing as she kill the flea. In this poetry, John Donne’s use of rhythm aids in shaping the poem’s meaning, and emphasis on particular words or phrases.  For instance, in the first stanza he states, “Mark but this flea, and mark in this.” Instead of beginning with an unstressed word, John Donne stresses the word “Mark.”  This is important in accentuating his argument. Therefore, the flea is an important part of the poet’s argument and emphasis. Finally, Donne’s rhyme scheme is also important for the meaning.  All twenty-seven lines of the poem follow the aabbccddd rhyme scheme, which invoke rhythmic feeling in the readers. Although the poetry only contains three stanzas and twenty-seven lines, the poet expressed his thought and feeling vividly and completely. He shows the readers his imagination and literature skills through this poetry.

In the poem The Tyger, William Blake shows a lot of symbolism, imagery, and irony. He also wants to tell the readers about his outlook on the world by trying write down every knowledge he knows. William Blake shows symbolism in this part of the poem, ” In the forest of the night,” This part shows that you can be trapped from your work or even your life. “What immortal hand or eye could frame thy fearful symmetry?” This part shows how much struggle he has in his life and all the pain he feels in his life. “in what distant deeps or skies burnt the fire of thine eyes”. He shows his emotions and how much anger that was built up in his heart. He feels like crying because he is frustrated. “What the hammer? What the chain” shows that his been treated like a slave. “Did he smile his work to see? Did he who made the lamb make thee?” He is talking to god and its bringing out his emotions. Asking for forgiveness and wants to be treated normal in his life. “Tyger! Tyger! Burning bright in the forest of the night,” This phrase started in the beginning and ended at the end. Its because it’s the true meaning behind the whole poem no matter what you do or how hard you work there is always something that will take you down.

Throughout The Tyger I have seen a lot of Irony and symbolism. The parts that I chose from the poem brings out a lot of pain, suffering, hard work. Reading this poem makes me think a lot about life. Because it reminds me of how I feel sometimes when I am angry and bothered I feel sometimes. 
Question myself sometimes and ask god for all the sins I may commit. That feeling all this anger in my heart really shows how the poem explains. I am truly thankful for what god has given to us and people all over are suffering and I understand the true meaning in life.

Another poem wrote by William Blake which similar as The Tyger is The Lamb. In “The Lamb,” God is described as being “meek and mild”. This is the typical description of the Christian God: a forgiving and loving God who takes care of his “children”. This God gives the Lamb “clothing of delight, softest clothing, wooly bright”. The Tyger and the Lamb can be interpreted as the two contrary states of the human soul. The Tyger is the part of human nature that is not inherently good. This “tyger” state if being is fierce and terrible, with “fearful symmetry.” Blake seems to be referring to the Tyger as being a sort of mirror image of the angry, vengeful God. However, the Lamb is the part of human nature which Christians would like to believe mirrors God. The Lamb is also a prominent figure in the Christian religion, representing God’s human “children”. The Lamb is typically portrayed as being meek and in need of protection.